diff --git a/src/points.js b/src/points.js
index 8377d40..396413c 100644
--- a/src/points.js
+++ b/src/points.js
@@ -206,6 +206,9 @@ exports.parse = (config, units) => {
     // rendering zones
     for (let [zone_name, zone] of Object.entries(zones)) {
 
+        // zone sanitization
+        zone = a.sane(zone || {}, `points.zones.${zone_name}`, 'object')()
+
         // extracting keys that are handled here, not at the zone render level
         const anchor = anchor_lib.parse(zone.anchor || {}, `points.zones.${zone_name}.anchor`, points)(units)
         const rotate = a.sane(zone.rotate || 0, `points.zones.${zone_name}.rotate`, 'number')(units)
@@ -215,7 +218,16 @@ exports.parse = (config, units) => {
         delete zone.mirror
 
         // creating new points
-        const new_points = render_zone(zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key, units)
+        let new_points = render_zone(zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key, units)
+
+        // simplifying the names in individual point "zones"
+        const new_keys = Object.keys(new_points)
+        const individual_key = `${zone_name}_default_default`
+        if (new_keys.length == 1 && new_keys[0] == individual_key) {
+            new_points[zone_name] = new_points[individual_key]
+            new_points[zone_name].meta.name = zone_name
+            delete new_points[individual_key]
+        }
 
         // adjusting new points
         for (const [new_name, new_point] of Object.entries(new_points)) {
diff --git a/test/outlines/circles.yaml b/test/outlines/circles.yaml
index fe8d572..3daca88 100644
--- a/test/outlines/circles.yaml
+++ b/test/outlines/circles.yaml
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ outlines:
         type: circle
         anchor:
           ref:
-            - matrix_default_default
-            - mirror_matrix_default_default
+            - matrix
+            - mirror_matrix
         radius: 15
       outside_circles:
         type: circle
         anchor:
-          ref: matrix_default_default
+          ref: matrix
           shift: [-10, 10]
         radius: 5
         mirror: true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/outlines/polygons.yaml b/test/outlines/polygons.yaml
index d22f109..3489d56 100644
--- a/test/outlines/polygons.yaml
+++ b/test/outlines/polygons.yaml
@@ -14,15 +14,15 @@ outlines:
         type: polygon
         points:
           - ref:
-              - matrix_default_default
-              - mirror_matrix_default_default
+              - matrix
+              - mirror_matrix
             shift: [0, 20]
           - shift: [20, -40]
           - shift: [-40, 0]
       outside_polys:
         type: polygon
         points:
-          - ref: matrix_default_default
+          - ref: matrix
             shift: [-10, 15]
           - shift: [5, -10]
           - shift: [-10, 0]
diff --git a/test/outlines/rectangles.yaml b/test/outlines/rectangles.yaml
index 43bf02a..cec172d 100644
--- a/test/outlines/rectangles.yaml
+++ b/test/outlines/rectangles.yaml
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ outlines:
         type: rectangle
         anchor:
           ref:
-            - matrix_default_default
-            - mirror_matrix_default_default
+            - matrix
+            - mirror_matrix
           shift: [0, sy/2]
         size: [20, 40]
       outside_rects:
         type: rectangle
         anchor:
-          ref: matrix_default_default
+          ref: matrix
           shift: [-10, 10]
         size: 10
         mirror: true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/points/default.yaml b/test/points/default.yaml
index 0e806d6..f767592 100644
--- a/test/points/default.yaml
+++ b/test/points/default.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-points:
-  zones:
-    matrix: {}
\ No newline at end of file
+points.zones.matrix:
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/points/default___points.json b/test/points/default___points.json
index e19638c..33e284f 100644
--- a/test/points/default___points.json
+++ b/test/points/default___points.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-    "matrix_default_default": {
+    "matrix": {
         "x": 0,
         "y": 0,
         "r": 0,
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
             "padding": 19,
             "skip": false,
             "asym": "both",
-            "name": "matrix_default_default",
+            "name": "matrix",
             "col": {
                 "rows": {},
                 "key": {},